Somewhere on a desert highway
She rides a Harley-Davidson
Her long blonde hair
flyin' in the wind
She's been runnin' half her life
The chrome and steel she rides
Collidin' with
the very air she breathes
The air she breathes.(from) Unknown Legend Neil Young
Basic Information
There are two ways to establish a female character as a badass; one is give her a sword, the other is to put her on a motorcycle. I won't go into the Freudian implications of either; I'll just note that the Biker Babe is an icon of the tough, independent female. And she wears leather.
The Biker Babe tends to be tough and aggressive, but may have soft side underneath her studded leather exterior.
This trope does not normally cover the "Biker's Moll" since this character rides her own bike rather than being a passenger on someone elses1 and, in general should also qualify for the babe part of the title as well, not leaving the viewer in any doubt as to her gender (for example).
Characterisation may also vary by the type of motorcycle used.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- Adventure Seed: Fourth Biker of the Apocalypse
- Unless she's a member of a Biker Gang, the Biker Babe tends to be loner, which could make her difficult to integrate in a PC group. Not impossible, though. See Priss from Bubblegum Crisis.
- Kensi Blye from NCIS:LA is also known to bike … it's a fairly functional trope for Action Girls in general.
- This type is not strictly limited to riding motorcyles; she could also be a hotshot pilot or drive fast cars.
- Or ride hoverbikes. Hoverbikes are always cool.
- The Biker Babe makes a good NPC for a bar encounter. If she challenges you to an arm-westling contest, be prepared to buy the drinks.